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Although Franklin County staff has presented commissioners with a bare-bones proposed budget that includes no tax increase, there are nearly a dozen unfunded project requests from department heads that could increase the budget by $3.8 million and add a more than 10-cent tax increase.

The state Board of Transportation on Thursday approved its most recent improvement plan which includes more money to widen U.S. Highway 401, however, construction on the Franklin County leg remains an unfunded portion.
Funding for the Franklin County section could be pushed beyond 2016, officials said this week.

GOOD SEATS. The annual PreddyFest Bluegrass Festival in Franklinton kicked off with stage performances on Thursday and runs through today. Organizers of the event moved the festival up to this week because it’s normal schedule of late July and early August usually proved to be too hot for performers and attendees, too. Unfortunately, forecasts call for temperatures near 100 degrees.

A Franklin County teen posted bail this week for his role in a teenager’s runaway that prompted a county, state and national search.
Franklinton Police charged Charles Kelton Sumner, 16, of 2842 N.C. 98 West, with resisting a public officer and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Louisburg staff has proposed a 2008-09 budget that raises taxes, water, sewer and electric rates.
Town Administrator Mark Warren presented the Town Council with the proposal during a budget work session on Tuesday evening.
As proposed, water and sewer rates will increase for the second straight year while it will be the first tax rate increase in four years.

OBITUARIES

FRANKLINTON - Geraldine D. Johnson of Franklinton, formerly of Washington, D.C., died Wednesday, June 4, 2008. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 9, at First United Church of Christ, 20 W. Green St., Franklinton.

DURHAM - Mrs. Gracie Hatcher Wright Davis, 86, of The Durham Regent, diedThursday, June 5, 2008, at Hospice at Meadowlands. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at noon at Hudson Funeral Chapel in Durham, officiated by Rev. M.B. Collier. The family will receive visitors from 11 a.m. to noon prior to the funeral at the funeral home. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. at Flat Rock Baptist Church in Louisburg.

APEX - James Corbie Norris, 67, died Monday, June 2, 2008. Funeral service was conducted Thursday, June 5, at West and Dunn Funeral Home Chapel, Benson, with the Rev. Jonathan Pearce, the Rev. Craig Saunders, and the Rev. Ron Byrd. Burial followed at the Fellowship Community Cemetery.

LOUISBURG - John W. Clifton, 85, died Thursday, June 5, 2008 at Britthaven of Louisburg. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Haywood Baptist Church, Louisburg. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

LOUISBURG - Lessie R. Baker, 93, died Wednesday, June 4, 2008. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday, June 9, at Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church in Bunn. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be at 3-8 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at William Toney’s Funeral Home in Spring Hope.

LOUISBURG - Funeral services for Marie Thomas Edgerton, 75, who died Wednesday, June 4, 2008, will be conducted at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at Jones Chapel Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Open visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today (Saturday, June 7) at Richardson Funeral Home in Louisburg.

ZEBULON - Sharon Lynn Morris Stone, 72, died Wednesday, June 4, 2008. A celebration of life will be conducted at 2 p.m. today (Saturday, June 7) at Oak Level Christian Church in Youngsville, with the deceased’s son-in-law, the Rev. Gary Williams, officiating. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

SPORTS

BUNN -- One of the first glimpses of Veronica Cannady’s scoring potential came in eighth grade, when she racked up over 50 points in a basketball contest for the Bunn Middle School Lady Bulldogs.
But Cannady’s offensive arsenal wasn’t truly on display again until her senior year at Bunn High School.

BUNN — Few area athletes were as reliable this season to their team than Bunn High School fast-pitch softball standout Ashley Driver.
Driver, a senior pitcher, threw all of BHS’ innings except for three, helping the Ladycats to a share of the Northern Carolina Conference championship.
Bunn would reach the Elite Eight in the Class 2-A State Playoffs before coming up one victory short of a repeat trip to Walnut Creek in Raleigh for the State Final Four.

HENDERSON -- Growing up in Henderson -- and later moving just down the road to Franklin County -- Chuck Murray has spent most of his life fishing at Kerr Lake.
Murray put that long-time knowledge to use when he nabbed first place in the individual standings at the North Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Eastern Region Championship.
That event was held May 23-24 near the Hibernia Landing portion of Kerr Lake in Vance County.

With regular seasons winding down in Franklin County, it’s almost time to begin the Dixie Youth All-Star Baseball and Softball Tournaments.
Teams from Youngsville, Louisburg, Bunn, Franklinton, Oxford and Warren County (Major League only) will compete for local supremacy in district action, with the winner of those events scheduled to compete in state tournaments. The state champion then moves on to national competition.

YOUNGSVILLE -- For the first time, Cedar Creek Middle School fielded a girls soccer team this spring, coached by Tatiana Milutinovic.
The Lady Jaguars earned a third-place overall finish in the always-competitive Middle Athletic Conference.
Leading the way for Cedar Creek were co-captains Holly Kauls and Carly Rayman.

LIFESTYLES

Music in public schools or any other school is a blessing to the children and youth.
Music can do so much for a child’s life that it should never be taken away from the curriculum.
This I know by experience and by watching so many young folks just flourishing after a few music lessons.

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Franklin County Board of Elections opened up early voting this week and will continue through the Saturday before the June 24 second primary.
Franklin County Democrats, unaffiliated voters who voted Democrat in the first primary or unaffiliated voters who did not vote in the March 6 primary will get to choose between Shane Mitchell and Raymond Stone for the Democratic nomination for the Commission District Seat 7.